Turisas
=Appearance= "The cold gray of his eyes - a vast ocean of swirling hatred and anger chilled like a glacier - was the last thing that the dying mark saw." Hailing from Gunderland, Turisas is tall and well built, hardened by his years of fighting. He keeps his blond hair short, but keeps his mutton chops long. His time serving in the Old Tarantian guard taught him that long hair can be used as a weapon- a tactic he often employs. His muscles are keenly chiseled and taught, but not overly large. He keeps himself light and quick, as too much bulk wears even the best fighter down to quickly. His arms are heavily tattooed with thick, black lines inspired by the tribal designs of his homeland. His face is typical for the region, but is cold and distant. He has seen and done many things in his life that haunt him, and this has worn down his once cheery outward appearance. His slate gray eyes have a cunning gleam to them, but belie a rage that only murderers know, madmen crave, and noblemen fear. Save for a deep tan, he is nearly albino in appearance. As with all other close combat fighters, Turisas keeps his armor sparse and light. Rarely will he be seen wearing a helmet, as it serves only to distract him. He relies on his fluid method of combat to keep him safe and out of harm's ways. =Personality= "A fighter without a weapon is like a woman without breasts - useless." Turisas is a brutal fighter above all, but a mercenary by trade. He pledges allegiance only to the highest bidder. He will do whatever it takes finish a job, which often finds him skulking in the shadows, waiting for the time to strike, or poisoning his mark. He will do any job for the right price, anywhere, and at any time. By taking contracts from all over the realms, he is able to finance his thirst for ale and craving of women. Often found in a bar when not out on the wilds, he exudes a quiet, almost cold composure which quickly changes to a terrible rage when provoked. He doesn't trust people very easily, but given his line of work, this has saved him on more than one occasion. Once you have earned his trust though, he is an affable comedian, and some have even used the word 'pleasant', though not loud enough for him to hear. He believes in no gods, and has no problem with the various magics that others employ. His view is that religion makes a man weak, and enslaves the mind, and he wants no part of it. However, if you help him finish a contract, it doesn't matter how you do it, so long as you both live and the job gets done. Strike with fire? Command the dead? Whatever, just don't get in his way. He once was thrown out of a Stygian bar by telling someone that "fully grown men who speak with imaginary friends need to lay off the lotus." While he knows that magic is a powerful force to be reckoned with, he often jokes about the gods and those that pray to them, which some don't take too kindly. In battle, Turisas is a raging wolverine. Having been trained in most forums of weaponry, he will use whatever it takes to win, but is most fond of the great 2 handed swords. Hacking through body after body on the battlefield, he's found that the weight and balance of the great weapons suits his style best, as when he gets moving, he doesn't stop until whatever he's fighting is a bloodied mess, and the momentum of a large and heavy sword contributes greatly. He is never seen without his weapon, and takes great pride in keeping them in the best shape possible. To him, he is an artist, and his weapons are the paintbrushes. =History= "All you need to know about me is that I'll get your job done. Now let's discuss payment." As a contract killer, Turisas keeps his fractured background secret. There is nothing you need to know about it, and it's not relevant to the task at hand. In his line of work, people who ask too many questions end up lying in a pool of blood in a gutter. Yet, what he doesn't tell you is that there's nothing impressive or surprising about his background. He is not nobility, not a special chosen one, or any sort of celebrity. He is a normal man, albeit in an abnormal line of work. He was born and raised in Gunderland, in Northern Aquilionia. He spent most of his time with his brothers, training with the village guards in all manner of warfare- proper and guerrilla. Shortly after turning 18, he murdered the local governor's son in a fit of rage after he spotted him and his woman together. Fleeing Gunderland to spare his neck, Turisas traveled with whomever he could find, using his skill as a fighter to earn his way by providing security to the tradelines. Along the way, he learned the art of the bow, and further refined his hiding and skulking technique from a group of Nemedian rogues. Once his travels brought him to Old Tarantia, at the age of 22, he joined the city guard. There he learned the advanced fighting techniques of organized warfare, as well as a heavy disgust for the ruling caste and their oppressive ways. He was thrown out 2 years later due to his penchant for excessive violence, disregard for conventional warfare, and lack of respect for his superiors. Back on the streets, he returned to Mercenary work and has been doing it ever since. After a particularly rough night in a Nemedian bar, drunk and high from their exotic tobaccos, he sought the refuge of a local whore. Hours later he emerged from the brothel, weary and still intoxicated by his encounter with the woman. He stumbled back to the bar to get yet more ale, and was attacked before he made it. Three very large bruisers beat him sensless, as he was uncharacteristically unarmed and obviously drunk- an easy mark. Waking up days later on a Slaver's ship in the midst of a wild storm, Turisas's mind was completely blank of anything that had happened prior, and still fuzzy from the tobaccos. He did not know who he was, where he came from, or where he was going. He only knew that this situation was temporary, as no man was going to control him, and he'd be damned if he ended up as a slave. As a plan was forming in his mind on how to get free, the ship broke apart and as he says, "The situation solved itself." After leaving the Island of Tortage, and a pile of dead in his wake, Turisas is working on recovering his past. He is slowly remembering skills that he once mastered, and is back in the Mercenary business.